Welcome to Austria

ENTRY FROM EU COUNTRIES, EEA COUNTRIES AND SWITZERLAND

BREXIT

ENTRY FROM THIRD COUNTRIES

ENTRY FOR RESEARCHERS

ARRIVING IN INNSBRUCK

CURRENT INFORMATION ABOUT THE CORONAVIRUS / COVID-19

CHECKLISTS

USEFUL LINKS AND DOWNLOADS

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ENTRY FROM EU COUNTRIES, EEA COUNTRIES AND SWITZERLAND

The Republic of Austria is a member state of the European Union. Free movement of workers is a fundamental principle of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union. EU citizens, EEA citizens (incl. Iceland, Norway, Liechtenstein) and Swiss nationals do not require a visa and have a right of residence in the Austrian federal territory for a period of three months. This right is independent from economic activity in Austria.

EU citizens, EEA citizens and Swiss nationals who have a right of residence for a period of more than three months according to Union law and are staying in Austria longer than three months must report their taking up of residence to the residence authorities. A document called Anmeldebescheinigung as documentation of their right of residence will then be issued upon application. Such an application must be made within a four-month period starting from the applicant's arrival in Austria.

EU / EEA citizens and Swiss nationals may reside in Austria for more than three months according to Union law if

  • they are employees or self‑employed workers in Austria; or
  • they have sufficient resources and comprehensive sickness insurance cover for themselves and their family members not to need to claim social assistance or compensatory allowances during their stay; or
  • the principal aim of their stay is to obtain a qualification, including a professional qualification, from a state school or legally recognised private school or educational establishment and they have sufficient sickness insurance cover and sufficient resources for themselves and their family members.

You have to register within three working days of arrival in Austria with the registration office at your place of residence. This would be the Innsbruck Municipal Authority (Stadtmagistrat) if your place of residence is in Innsbruck. If the place of residence is in another Tyrolean municipality, then that municipal office (Gemeindeamt) is directly responsible.

Please check the required documents (e.g. passport, employment contract) for the application of the registration certificate (Anmeldebescheinigung) and for the registration for residence (Meldezettel).

 General information:

  • Austrian Agency for International Cooperation in Education & Research (OeAD): Entry and Residence (with downloads of all application forms and addresses of the competent Austrian authorities)
  • Austrian Business Agency ABA - Work in Austria - Info and Service

BREXIT

The UK has left the EU on 31 January 2020 and is no longer a member of the European Union. However, the exit agreement provides for facilitated residence conditions for UK nationals and their families living in Austria before the end of the transitional period wish to remain in Austria.

For further information please contact the websites of the Austrian Federal Chancellery as well as the website of the Austrian Federal Ministry of Education, Science and Research and the OeAD.

 

ENTRY FROM THIRD COUNTRIES

Third countries are all countries except the member states of EU / EEA and Switzerland.

- For a stay up to a maximum of six months, citizens of third countries are required to apply for a visa.

- For a stay that lasts more than 6 months, citizens of third countries are required to possess, right from the beginning of this period, a residence permit, which is always issued for a specific purpose. When entering Austria, not only a valid passport, but also a valid residence permit must be presented.

Please refer to the following weblinks for the different forms (e.g. EU Blue Card, Red-White-Red Card, Settlement Permit for Researchers) and limitations on residence permits:


ENTRY RULES FOR RESEARCHERS

For researchers special rules apply, which can be found in the Researcher's Guide to Austria by Euraxess or on the OeAD website. Please check the application rules for family members of researchers also!

The projekt.service.office helps researchers of the University of Innsbruck and their family members regarding the entry, visa and residence permits in Austria. Here you will get your „Aufnahmevereinbarung" (Hosting Agreement) of the University of Innsbruck.

  

ARRIVING IN INNSBRUCK

If you live in the city area of Innsbruck (i.e., within the „Innsbruck - Stadt“ district), please contact the Municipal Administration, whose offices are located in the center of Innsbruck in the Rathausgalerie within three working days on arrival in Austria. Here you will conveniently resolve all questions regarding place of residence, registration, residence permits and citizenship. Please fill in the form „Meldezettel" and don't forget the signature of your landlord!

The only exception is the subject of driving licenses, for which you must refer to the Innsbruck District Administration („Bezirkshauptmannschaft Innsbruck“), at the address Gilmstrasse 2, Insnbruck or to the Tyrol State Police Headquarters („Landespolizeidirektion Tirol“), which is located at Kaiserjägerstrasse 8 in Innsbruck. EU driving licences are recognised in Austria. This means they do not have to be converted, but you may do so voluntarily.

TIP: If you have your driving licence reissued as an Austrian driving licence, you will have an official Austrian identity document. You will then also have a photo of yourself in the official register and you will not have to register another photo with the authorities, e.g. for the ecard (health insurance card).

 

CURRENT INFORMATION ABOUT THE CORONAVIRUS / COVID-19

Daily updated information is available on the following websites:

Land Tirol Tyrolean Regional Government

University of Innsbruck https://www.uibk.ac.at/en/newsroom/information-on-the-corona-virus/

CHECKLISTS

Before entering Austria:

  • Inform yourself about customs regulations and entry requirements
  • Visa and residence permit for third-country nationals
  • Residence permit for EU countries (can also be applied for after entry)
  • Look for a place to live, possibly a temporary one for the registration of residence
  • Consider care facilities, kindergardens, schools etc. if you have children (contact our Family Services!)
  • Provide personal documents for all accompanying family members and possibly update them
  • Please do not forget to make various cancellations (cancellation of residence, cancellation of telephone, Internet, etc.) at your earlier place of residence and to arrange a change-of-address order for your mail.

After entering Austria:

  • Registration at the respective registration office (municipal authority or municipal office) within three working days on arrival with the „Meldezettel". A signature from your landlord is needed!. Please check all the documents you need for this beforehand.
  • Please check deadlines for „Anmeldebescheinigung“ (EU), Visa or „Aufenthaltstitel“!
  • Take out insurance (private liability insurance, household insurance or accident insurance); social insurance (health and pension insurance), which is mandatory in Austria, is handled by the employer (family members f.e. children can be co-insured free. Spouses with children can be co-insured free of charge. Co-insurance of spouses/partners without children entails an additional contribution.
  • Opening a bank account: it is advisable to check with more than one bank, because your employer could get special conditions with a particular bank
  • Sign up for television, internet, telephone, radio. Please note: if you are a registered resident and you have one or more radios and/or TV sets, in Austria registering them with the „OBS“ authority and paying applicable fees is mandatory.
    • Television and radio fees are to be paid to OBS (ORF Beitrags Service GmbH - former GIS). Should you fail to register, you may face severe penalties.
    • Internet and telephone: Austria has a large number of telephone and internet service providers in relation to the number of inhabitants (e.g. A1, Drei, Magenta, HoT...)
  • Inquire whether your driving license is valid in Austria and/or have it converted. This can be done at the Tyrol State Police Headquarters („Landespolizeidirektion Tirol“).
  •  Please check NoVA and other formalities when importing a vehicle
  •  Please send an application for the „Zuzugsbegünstigung" (tax benefits for highly qualified researchers moving to Austria) to the Austrian ministry of Finance within 6 months of the date of the move to Austria (only in german)

 

More Checklists of oesterreich.gv.at:

 

USEFUL LINKS AND DOWNLOADS

 

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